Peña Nieto’s Debut: The First Days of the Mexican President

Another successful program at the SMU Tower Center for Political Studies featuring two prominent Mexico scholars and intellectuals on September 12th, 2013 – former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, the Honorable Antonio O. Garza, and Director of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars, Dr. Duncan Wood. The program was moderated by Tower Center Senior Fellow, Lee Cullum, noted international journalist, and offered a dynamic discussion about the current Mexican president, Enrique Peña Nieto, and his reforms.

The discussion focused on a couple of major topics: energy and fiscal reform, the Pacto por Mexico, and the return of the PRI to power. Both speakers were candid about the problems and opportunities facing México and left the audience hopeful that the country is moving in the right direction with a more open economy and a more transparent political process. The current President is spearheading efforts to improve sectors of the Mexican economy, such as energy, telecommunications, … that were lagging but rule of law and corruption continue to hamper reform efforts.

— Luisa del Rosal, Program Director, SMU Tower Center

“What a first rate program! I scrambled to find my note pad and record the information and anecdotes the speakers shared. (And what they were hesitant to share, Lee managed to extract!) Well done, Tower Center!” — Pia Orrenius, Senior Fellow, SMU Tower Center